


Black Mesa Records

by cottondollaris



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, does this count as a crossover au or not, no straight roads au, probably doesn't even qualify as a fic, this is just a summary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:16:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29643582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottondollaris/pseuds/cottondollaris
Summary: HLVRAI x No Straight Roads AU. The story of why Gordon and Benrey, a.k.a. Resonance Cascade, team up to challenge Black Mesa Records' iron grip on Vinyl City's music industry.
Kudos: 3





	Black Mesa Records

**Author's Note:**

> this is a summary of the opening for my hlvrai x nsr au. it’s pretty much the same as nsr’s opening but with different characters, so if you know the plot of no straight roads you don't really need to read this  
> disclaimer: this is not an actual fic, nor do i have plans to make it one. i just wanted a better place to put what would otherwise be a really long tumblr post

In Vinyl City, music is power... literally. Black Mesa Records, Vinyl City's leading record label, enlists artists to play music which the Grand Qwasa, a massive sculpture in the center of the city, converts into electricity.

Gordon and Benrey perform as their band Resonance Cascade at the Lights Up audition, run by Black Mesa Records to recruit new artists. Their goal is to bring rock back to the forefront of Vinyl City's EDM-dominated music scene. After completing the audition course, they get rejected by all of Black Mesa’s current artists as well as their leader and CEO, the G-Man, who tells the duo that the age of rock has long passed, and that there’s only one genre in demand: EDM.

Frustrated and dejected, Gordon and Benrey take a walk through the city streets. On the way, they pass by an electronics store, where they see footage of their audition as well as a shocking discovery: their performance powered the Grand Qwasa to near-full capacity, a feat accomplished by few, if any previous candidates. Gordon is further angered by their rejection in spite of their outstanding performance, but Benrey is more resigned to their audition's outcome.

The two reach the edge of Vinyl City, where they reflect on their performance. A Black Mesa-sponsored blimp passes by, transmitting a video message from the G-Man himself: as a consequence of Resonance Cascade’s audition, rock has been banned from all future auditions. Gordon is furious, and Benrey tries to talk him down, saying that despite its harsh policies, Black Mesa has done a lot to help govern the city...

...just as a blackout plunges everything into darkness.

The backup power kicks in, revealing another upsetting truth: only Black Mesa’s buildings and facilities receive auxiliary power. Fully incensed, Gordon resolves to confront Black Mesa head-on, and even Benrey concedes. Together, they plan to hijack Black Mesa’s artists’ concerts, one by one, and show the world that rock can go toe-to-toe with the best musicians that EDM has to offer.

The music revolution starts now, and it starts with DJ Bubatomic Supernova, an astronomy-themed DJ preparing for tonight’s performance in his concert hall-slash-planetarium...

And with that, their story _really_ begins.

**Author's Note:**

> if you actually read through all of this, thanks  
> i'm probably not gonna make this into any sort of fully-fledged thing, but if you want some more sketches for this au you can check 'em out [ here ](https://cotton-applepatch.tumblr.com/tagged/hlvrai+x+nsr+au/chrono)


End file.
